Three Cheers for Second Chances

So as you all know, the Pacific Northwest Software Quality Conference for 2011 just ended yesterday. Many of you also know I was scheduled to be there as a speaker. I had to drop out of the conference due to the condition of my leg, or the anticipated condition of my leg. As I look at it right now, I probably could have muddled through, but it would have impacted my delivery style seriously, so I still think I made the right decision. Besides, it's not the bones that are the issue, it's the circulation. If I walk, I'm OK. If I stand still, then I'm in trouble; circulation is not working well at the moment, and it starts to hurt after awhile. Anyway, what's done is done, and good or bad, I have to stand behind the decision.

Well, there were some people who were bummed about my not being able to give my talk. A good friend who shall remain nameless (unless they want to out themselves :) ), contacted me and asked me if I knew Lee Copeland, who chairs the STAR conferences (STAR-East and STAR-West). When I told them that I didn't, they said they'd get in touch with Lee and tell them about my situation and send them a copy of the original talk I had prepared. Which they did.

I'm happy to say that Lee got back to me and said that the committee for STAR-East reviewed my paper and proposal and thought it would be a good fit for the Star-East Conference in April. Of course, having just come off of a month's working from home, I felt strange asking for the time to go to the conference, but a commit was needed from me by a certain date, so I put it in and figured, well, we'll see what happens. After some back and forth, I got the clearance to go, and if I promote SideReel while I'm there, I'm on the clock. I think I can do that :).

Thus, I will get another chance to present the talk that I prepared for PNSQC in a live venue, and that live venue will be the STAR-East Testing Conference, to be held April 16-20, 2012 in Orlando, Florida. I've never been to a STAR-East event (OK, before 2010, I'd never been to a testing conference at all, so I think there may well be many "firsts" in this list ;) ). Nevertheless, there's a number of testers I've grown to know and appreciate over the years and several of them will be at STAR-East, so I'm looking forward to meeting and interacting with them, as well as getting the change to present the talk I've been itching to deliver now for several months. And huge thanks to a friend willing to help a guy out when he's down, too. So I guess my last question is... will I see YOU there :)?